Sift-proof dispensing carton

ABSTRACT

A seal-end, sift-proof, paperboard dispensing carton having a top closure arrangement including overlapping top closure flaps, extending from the upper edges of the side walls, and a removable portion in an upper area of one of the side walls which is separable from the side wall and connected to certain of the top closure flaps for removal therewith to open the carton.

United States Patent [191 Collura et al.

SIFT-PROOF DISPENSING CARTON Inventors: Peter C. Collura, Stamford, Conn.;

John D. Desmond, Philadelphia, Pa.

Assignee: Container Corporation of America,

Chicago, Ill.

Filed: Jan. 3, 1972 Appl. No.: 214,691

11.8. C1. ..229/17 R Int. Cl. ...B65d 5/72 Field of Search ..229/17 R References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1971 Aoki ..229/17 R 3,521,809 7/1970 Zimmerman ..229/l7 R 2,983,421 5/1961 Turpin ..229/1 7 R 3,298,576 1/1967 Sellors ..229/l7 R X 3,520,465 7/1970 Spiering et a1. ..229/1 7 R Primary ExaminerDavis T. Moorhead AttorneyRichard W. Carpenter 5 7 ABSTRACT A seal-end, sift-proof, paperboard dispensing carton having a top closure arrangement including overlapping top closure flaps, extending from the upper edges of the side walls, and a removable portion in an upper area of one of the side walls which is separable from the side wall and connected to certain of the top closure flaps for removal therewith to open the carton.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures Patented May 29, 1973 3,735,914-

SIFT-PROOF DISPENSING CARTON It is an object of the invention to provide in a carton of the type described, a top closure arrangement including interconnected flaps arranged to prevent loss of contents when the carton is sealed, but which may be readily opened for dispensing of the packaged material in powder or granular form.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a dispensing carton having a removable dispensing portion in a side wall of the carton, which is defined by a fold line and a line of weakness comprising a pair of generally parallel cuts extending only partially through a carton side wall panel from opposite faces thereof, and which may be removed with adjacent portions of top closure flaps.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from an examination of the following description and drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an unopened carton, indicated generally at C, embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank, indicated generally at B, of foldable paperboard from which the carton of the other views may be formed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 1, illustrating the carton prior to its being opened; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but illustrating the carton after it has been opened.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elements have been intentionally omitted from certain views where they are believed to be illustrated to better advantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of the invention, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the carton indicated generally at C in FIG. 1 is a seal-end, sift-proof, dispensing carton which may be formed from the blank B illustrated in FIG. 2. Still referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the central portion of blank B, which comprises the body of the carton includes, looking from right to left at the drawing: a major side wall panel 10, a minor side wall panel 12, a major side wall panel 14, a minor side wall panel 16, and a glue flap 18. The major and minor side wall panels and the glue flap are hingedly attached to each other along parallel vertical fold lines and secured to form a tubular sleeve or body of the carton open at the upper and lower ends.

In order to close the lower end of the carton a bottom closure arrangement is provided which includes a pair of inner closure flaps 20, hingedly attached to the minor side wall panels 12 and 16, and a pair of first and second outer closure flaps 22 and 24 which are hingedly attached to the lower edges of major side wall panels 14 and 10, respectively. Outer closure flap 22 is provided at its opposite ends with a pair of hingedly attached Van Buren ears 26.

In forming the bottom closure of the carton, inner closure flaps are first folded inwardly at right angles to the minor side wall panels 12 and 16 of the carton, first outer closure flap 22 is then folded inwardly at right angles to the major side wall panel 14 of the carton to overlie the inner closure flaps 20 and with the Van Buren ears 26folded downwardly at right angles to flap 22 so as to overlie and be adhesively secured to lower portions of related minor side wall panels 12 and 16. Second outer closure flap 24 is then folded inwardly at right angle to the major side wall panel 10 so as to overlie and be adhesively secured to first outer closure flap 22. The construction of the bottom closure arrangement may be varied and does not relate particularly to this invention wherein the novelty resides in the top closure arrangement hereinafter described.

The top closure arrangement includes a pair of inner closure flaps 30 hingedly attached to the upper edges of minor side wall panels 12 and 16 and a pair of underlying and overlying outer closure flaps 32 and 34 which are hingedly attached to the upper edges of major side wall panels 14 and 10, respectively. Underlying top closure flap 32 may also be provided with a pair of Van Buren ears 36 hingedly attached to opposite end edges thereof and adaptedto be adhesively secured against upper portions of related minor side wall panels 12 and 16. It will be understood that the folding and gluing sequence of the top closure is similar to that previously described in connection with the bottom closure flaps.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, as well as FIG. I, it will be seen that a dispensing opening is provided at the upper corner of the carton by means of a removable portion, indicated generally at 40, formed in the upper area of minor side wall panel 16. Removable portion 40 is defined at its upper edge by fold line 42, which interconnects minor side wall panel l6 with its related inner closure flap 30, and is defined at its lower portion by a generally V-shaped line of weakness, indicated generally at 44, which extends from one end of fold line 42 downwardly into minor side wall panel 16 and then upwardly back to the opposite end of fold line 42.

In order to prevent infestation of the carton or shifting of the material out of the carton in the area of the removable portion, line of weakness 44 is formed by a pair of generally parallel cut lines 46 and 48 which extend only partially through the carton minor side wall 16 from the outside and inside faces thereof respectively. Thus, line of weakness 44 does not provide any opening extending completely through the carton side wall which would permit infestation into or siftingout of the carton.

'--After the carton has been filled with the packaged material the top closure is effected by first folding inner closure flaps 30 inwardly in a direction normal to the minor side walls, then folding underlying outer closure flap 32 inwardly over flaps 30, with the Van Buren ears 36 being folded over and against minor side wall panels 12 and 16, and then folding overlying outer closure flaps 34 over flap 32 and at the same time adhesively securing all of the flaps and panels together.

In order to open the carton for dispensing of the packaged material, the removable portion 40 is pushed in and then lifted up along with: related Van Buren ear 36, related inner closure flap 30, and the adjacent end portions of outer closure flaps 32 and 34.

In order to facilitate lifting of outer closure flaps 32 and 34, they may be provided with transverse score lines 50 and 52, respectively, so the end portion can be bent upwardly from' the remainder.

Also, to facilitate tearing back of the end portions of outer closure flaps 32 and 34, at least one of the flaps may be provided with a cut score 54 adjacent one end thereof which is aligned with the fold line connecting the flap 32 to the related major side wall panel 14.

We claim:

l. A seal end, sift-proof, dispensing carton, for granuposite faces thereof; lar material or the like, formed from a unitary blank of e. one of said outer closure flaps having hingedly atfoldable paperboard and comprising, in combination: tached to and depending from opposite ends a. opposed pairs of major and minor side wall panels thereof Van Buren ears adhesively secured to adjahingedly interconnected along parallel vertical fold 5 cent underlying areas of related minor side wall lines to form a tubular body open at the upper and panels; lower ends thereof; f. the Van Buren ear at one end of said one outer clob. means for closing the lower end of said carton sure flap being co-extensive with and secured to an body including closure flaps hingedly attached to upper area of said one minor side wall panel rethe lower edges of the side wall panels and secured movable portion; to each other in overlapped relation; g. said outer closure flaps having transverse score c. means for closing the upper end of said carton lines, aligned with each other and with the free body, which includes a reclosable dispensing openinner edge of the inner closure flap attached to said ing comprising: one minor side wall panel, to facilitate the lifting i. first and second inner closure flaps hingedly conand bending upwardly of portions of said outer clonected to upper edges of said minor side wall sure flaps when said minor side wall panel removpanels along horizontal fold lines and folded inable portion and attached inner closure flap are wardly in a direction normal thereto; separated from the remainder of said one minor ii. first and second outer closure panels hingedly side wall panel along said line of weakness to proconnected to upper edges of said major side wall vide a dispensing opening in said carton; panels along horizontal fold'lines and folded inh. certain of said outer closure flaps having therein a wardly in a direction normal thereto and secured line of weakness co-extensive with a portion of the to each other and to said inner closure flaps in fold line connecting said flap to a related major overlapped relation; side wall panel to facilitate separation of said outer d. one of said minor side wall panels including a reclosure flap from a related major side wall panel movable portion located adjacent the upper edge when said carton is opened; thereof defined by: i. said Van Buren ear having side elements overlapi. the fold line connecting said one minor side wall ping portions of said line of weakness and extendpanel to a related inner closure flap; and ing over unremovable portions of said minor side ii. a line of weakness extending downwardly from wall panel;

one end of said fold line and upwardly to the j. said side elements cooperating with said removable other end of said fold line; portion and enabling said removable portion to be iii. said line of weakness being defined by a pair of held in position at said minor side wall panel upon generally parallel cut lines extending partially reclosing of the carton. through said one minor side wall panel from op- 

1. A seal end, sift-proof, dispensing carton, for granular material or the like, formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard and comprising, in combination: a. opposed pairs of major and minor side wall panels hingedly interconnecteD along parallel vertical fold lines to form a tubular body open at the upper and lower ends thereof; b. means for closing the lower end of said carton body including closure flaps hingedly attached to the lower edges of the side wall panels and secured to each other in overlapped relation; c. means for closing the upper end of said carton body, which includes a reclosable dispensing opening comprising: i. first and second inner closure flaps hingedly connected to upper edges of said minor side wall panels along horizontal fold lines and folded inwardly in a direction normal thereto; ii. first and second outer closure panels hingedly connected to upper edges of said major side wall panels along horizontal fold lines and folded inwardly in a direction normal thereto and secured to each other and to said inner closure flaps in overlapped relation; d. one of said minor side wall panels including a removable portion located adjacent the upper edge thereof defined by: i. the fold line connecting said one minor side wall panel to a related inner closure flap; and ii. a line of weakness extending downwardly from one end of said fold line and upwardly to the other end of said fold line; iii. said line of weakness being defined by a pair of generally parallel cut lines extending partially through said one minor side wall panel from opposite faces thereof; e. one of said outer closure flaps having hingedly attached to and depending from opposite ends thereof Van Buren ears adhesively secured to adjacent underlying areas of related minor side wall panels; f. the Van Buren ear at one end of said one outer closure flap being co-extensive with and secured to an upper area of said one minor side wall panel removable portion; g. said outer closure flaps having transverse score lines, aligned with each other and with the free inner edge of the inner closure flap attached to said one minor side wall panel, to facilitate the lifting and bending upwardly of portions of said outer closure flaps when said minor side wall panel removable portion and attached inner closure flap are separated from the remainder of said one minor side wall panel along said line of weakness to provide a dispensing opening in said carton; h. certain of said outer closure flaps having therein a line of weakness co-extensive with a portion of the fold line connecting said flap to a related major side wall panel to facilitate separation of said outer closure flap from a related major side wall panel when said carton is opened; i. said Van Buren ear having side elements overlapping portions of said line of weakness and extending over unremovable portions of said minor side wall panel; j. said side elements cooperating with said removable portion and enabling said removable portion to be held in position at said minor side wall panel upon reclosing of the carton. 